back me up on tiller... patch installed.

[echatham]

alright im reasonably confident in my tillering abilities, though i have yet to knock one out of the park,  i would just like some other eyes on this as i go along to catch something i may not see.   this is osage, 64" ntn with top limb (on the right) 1" longer.  bottom limb is super clean and straight.  limbs are 1.5" at the dips and for about 5" after that, then straight taper to half inch at the tips (will be 3/8" or so when finished) .... pretty much straight out of Dean Torges's book.  floor tillering brought me to where im at, and this is the first time on any string so i can get a better look before i take it to low brace (1-2")  i think its ready.  my goal is 50# @29", and straight standing after shooting in. I guesstimate its about 65# right now. i plan to heat in about 3" of reflex once i reach a 5" brace or so.  so what do you guys think?  ready for low brace?

[JW_Halverson]

Boy howdy, that kink just to the right of the handle is gonna lead your eyes astray!

Any chance you can lay a straight edge along the side of the limb and put down a pencil line from fadeout to tip?  Then when you look down the limb and sorta unfocus your eyes, you can forget the dipsy-doodles of the limb and pay attention to where the line bends. 

[JW_Halverson]

Second look at things, I think by following the rows of holes in the pegboard I see that the right limb has more bend than the left. 

Anyone else see this?

[echatham]

yeah that kink is tricky.... awesome idea with the straight edge... gonna try that.

[echatham]

it might be a little deceiving cause the bow did tip a hair to the right when pulled... making it look like the right tip traveled further than it actually did.

[JW_Halverson]

I have a 2" by 36" aluminum yardstick that I use for making the straight lines on a limb.  Helps to have extra hands on a real character stave, but sometimes careful use of clamps can help, too.  Once that straight line is there, it will tell the tale with no exaggerations or falsehoods!

[George Tsoukalas]

If the right limb tipped to the right it is stronger as JW said. Jawge

[echatham]

Jawge i get what youre saying,  i have my tree set up so that it cradles the bow where i will hold it, and it pulls the string where i will pull it.  because the pulling point is a little higher than the holding point, it tends to tip at first.  the difference in limb lengths (or locations of static and dynamic fulcrums) is something im still wrapping my brain around, but i understand the concept.

[echatham]

line drawn.  will go give it a pull in a second.

[echatham]

hard to see the line in the picture, but it looks pretty darn even in real life.  awesome trick!  mind if i share it with the guys on the bowyer's bench?

[JW_Halverson]

There ya go!  Best tip I ever learned to get even bends in a limb! 

Nice looking bit of character in that bow.  She could be a real looker and a real shooter for you.

[Weylin]

I do the pencil trick like JW. Works great.

[Buckeye Guy]

Unless you are going to remove the dips and dives from that right side them I agree with JW get a strait line on each side of that limb !!
If you are going to heat this for any reason I would do it now and then draw the lines !
Guy

[Buckeye Guy]

Sorry if I am repeating folks
The storm blew thru and it took a couple of hours to get posted !
Guy

[echatham]

so ya don't think i should take it any further before heating in the reflex?